Combined cabinet and business machine stand



Dec. 7, 1937. w A ANDERSQN 2,101,230

COMBINED CABINET AND BUSINESS MACHINE STAND Filed June 5, 1936 INVENR WA use ,4. AAmAwsa/v.

E BY

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES COMBINED CABINET AND BUSINESS CHINE STAND Walter A. Anderson, Bridgeport, cnn agglguoi to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, Y a corporation of Delaware Application June 5, 1936, Serial No. 88,681

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a. combined cabinet and business machine stand and has for its ob- :lect to provide means for demountably associating a stand for a business machine, with a 5 cabinet, desk or work table in such manner that the machine and stand become supported by the cabinet but may be quickly and conveniently removed therefrom for servicing of the machine or for any other requirement.

The present day adding and bookkeeping ma-. chines are frequently of such weight that they are desirably mounted on frame stands with caster equipped legs, yet when the machine is being operated the caster mounting is not satisfactory because of the tendency of the stand to creep in response to the usual typing, printing, carriage returning, shifting or other operations.

To eliminate such disadvantage the stands have previously been provided with friction feet adapted to be made use of except when the machine is to be moved from one point to another.

, According to the present invention the stand may be equipped with only the caster supports, and in coupling it to a cabinet, desk or table for use therewith it is lifted slightly so as to be firmly supported against all possible movement by the piece to which it is coupled and to reinforce and strengthen that piece. Such cabinet or other piece of furniture is ordinarily of such weight as so to sumcientlyresist the shocks from the machine operation, especially when the weight of the machine and stand is added, and therefore, the furniture piece may be equipped with casters or friction feet as desired.

It will be obvious that the particular piece of offlce furniture used with the machine stand may vary widely in form and purpose and herein the word "cabinet is used as inclusive of desk, table or other similar piece of office equipment.

in the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Figure l is a view in perspective of the combined cabinet, stand and business machine in a stage of partial assembly, and

Figure 2 shows the major units disassembled but in position for movement of the business machine stand into the final home positions indicated by the dotted lines in thefigure. so The particular piece of furniture iii shown in the drawing comprises two spaced banks ii and i2 united at the rear by a plate i 3. The bank ii is provided with conventional desk drawers M and the bank i2 is in the form of a storage til) 55 cabinet it having a hinged door it. Each bank is supported by friction feet l'l at each corner and the whole assembly provides a work table of substantial area and a central well or reentrant portion 18 for the reception of a business machine stand indicated generally at i9. 5

The inner sides of the banks II and I2 are provided with guiding and supporting members 20 which may be in the form of angle members suitably secured to the inner side walls of the respective banks. Preferably these angle mem-- bers are disposed at a slight angle inclining downwardly toward the front of the cabinet as indicated clearly in Figure 2 of the drawing.

A preferred form of business machine stand is composed of four tubular legs or corners posts 2| having caster equipped lower ends as indicated at 22. The upper ends of the corner posts 2| are secured to a stand top 23 which is desirably in the form of a wedge-shaped piece having its bottom surface inclining upwardly toward the rear of the stand. Suitable means are employed for securing a business machine indicated at 24 to the upper face of the stand top, and the top may be apertured as at 25 to receive depending operating mechanism of the machine. 25

Desirably the wedge-shaped stand top 23 has overhanging sides 26 which easily fit between the banks ii and i2 and enter over the guiding and supporting members in while the stand is supported and easily movable on its casters 22. After the stand has been partially entered between the banks and into approximately the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the inclined faces of the stand top 23 come into engagement with the angle members 20 and as the stand is further urged into the home position shown by the dotted lines on Figure 2 a lifting movement of the stand takes place and the casters are removed from the floor and the weight of the stand and its attached machine is transferred to the cabinet, thus securing it against unintentional movement due to ordinary operations on the machine and also "reenforcing the furniture piece by the weight and substance of the inserted stand and machine.

When the machine is in its final home position pins 21 drop through holes 28 in the stand top 23 and through matching holes 29 in the angle member.

When it is desired to service the machine these pins are withdrawn and the stand top 23 is pulled forwardly, causing the casters 22 to gradually descend into contact with the floor after which engagement between the stand top and the rails or tracks 20 is brokenand the stand and its sup- 55 and said guide means so related with the banks as to permit the stand to be slidably moved into an elevated position of use between the tops of the banks.

2. A combined cabinet and business machine stand comprising a cabinet having spaced selfsupporting banks with table tops, a connector between the banks, and opposed guide means on the inner sides of the banks for fitting a machine stand, and a business machine stand having a top, a frame and anti-friction feet by which the stand is self-supporting, said stand comprising means adapted to be engaged by said guide means in movement of the stand into position between the banks to transfer the weight of the stand to said banks when the stand top is between the table tops of the banks.

3. A combined cabinet and business machine stand comprising a cabinet having opposed spaced banks provided-with means rendering each bank self-supporting, a connector between the banks and opposed tracks on the inner sides of the banks, and a business machine stand comprising a top, a frame and anti-friction feet by which it is self-supporting and movable at will, said. stand comprising means for engaging said tracks as the stand is moved to enter it between the banks and for lifting said stand on further entering movement so that when a machine on the stand is between the tops of the banks the weight of the stand is carried by the cabinet.

4. A cabinet having a reentrant middle portion and cabinet supporting means on each side, a connector for opposite sides of the cabinet, inclined tracks on opposite sides of the reentrant middle portion of the cabinet, a machine stand having supporting feet, legs and a top, said top being wedge-shaped for engagement with the inclined tracks and coacting with the same to lift the stand as it is moved into the reentrant portion, to thereby place the weight of the stand on the cabinet supporting means and retain its top surface in horizontal position.

WALTER A. ANDERSON. 

